TAMU:Zoom
Attending Shortcourses via Zoom
Zoom is a full-featured web collaboration tool, provided by the Office for Academic Innovation. HPRC utilizes Zoom for participants attending short courses remotely.
Join a Zoom meeting
You will need Zoom invitation URL, or Zoom meeting number + meeting password. Please see Zoom help center on "How to Join a Meeting".
Test Audio / Video
Participants are encourage to test audio and video of the device prior to attending the short course. Please visit Zoom Help Center on "Testing Computer or Device Audio".
Please visit Zoom Help Center on "Audio, Video, Sharing" to see addition subjects on solving audio and video issues.
If I need more help
Please contact TAMU Help Desk if you need additional help on using Zoom.
References
Participant Expectations
As the HPRC Short Courses will only be offered via Zoom for the near future, please review the following participant expectation items:
- Participants can join the zoom meeting by following the link in the email invite for course
- All participants will be muted when they join the meeting, to avoid unwanted background noise. Participant video will be turned off as well to conserve bandwidth.
- For asking questions during the session, use the raise hand feature available in the zoom chat section to draw the presenter’s attention. You will be unmuted by the co-host to facilitate the discussion.
- Participants can post their questions in the chat section in zoom
- The presenter will have a chat window open for answering questions simultaneously during the session. Co-hosts will keep a track of the questions posted and follow up with the presenter.
- Let the presenter know if the audio or video is not working during the zoom session
- Please enter your full name so we may confirm your attendance
- Note that direct messages (DMs) in chat are visible to the host
Security for Zoom
Recommendations for Presenters
Prepare before your meeting
Ask a colleague to act as the meeting co-host.
With your co-host, plan for how the meeting and participants should be managed. For example:
- Make sure all participants are muted when they join the meeting
- Monitor the in-meeting chat window or have someone assist you with it
- Read chat questions to the presenter, or respond directly
- Let presenter know if participants have any issues with sound or other meeting logistics
- Unmute participants if necessary
- Unless participating in a discussion or interactive session, participants should turn off their videos to conserve bandwidth.
- Ask participants to “raise their hand”. The moderator/host will umute them when its their time to ask questions
Check out your physical meeting room to see what equipment (projector, camera, speakers, phone) is available and how to use it.
Invite a colleague or two to a practice Zoom meeting to get familiar with sharing your screen and confirm your audio and video work. (Tip: go to [1] at any time to test your audio and video.)
Invitation
Include helpful information in your meeting invitation:
- Using the Zoom add-in, easily populate your meeting invitation with the Zoom meeting details.
- Provide participants with some form of “What to Expect” guidance.
Communicate expectations for remote meeting participants. For example:
- All participants will be muted during the meeting
- Enter your Name on the Zoom sign in sheet so that people know who you are
- If you have any questions or comments during the meeting, use the in-meeting chat
- [Name of Co-Host] will read your questions to the presenter
- If you are having trouble hearing the presenter or seeing the presentation, let [Name of Co-Host] know
Join a Slack Channel:
We are also inviting everyone to the slack Hpc channel so they can talk among each other - https://join.slack.com/t/sweeterworkspace/shared_invite/zt-ctr2va9t-PPshBmrde2G1PXgQv57GWA
Optimization
Optimize the meeting experience for in-person and remote participants
- The presenter should be in a quiet place and have a stable internet connection.
- The presenter should let the audience see them.
- Presenters should speak close to the microphone so remote participants can hear.
- Acknowledge remote participants by looking into the camera (if applicable) or asking if anyone on Zoom has any questions or comments periodically throughout the meeting
- Position presenters and the video camera to reduce glare for remote participants.
- Connect to only one audio source in the room to avoid audio feedback.
- If you are joining the meeting via a video conferencing system in the room, also join from your laptop(s) without audio so that you and your co-hosts can manage your participants.
- If others in the room are joining Zoom from their laptop, advise them to also not connect to audio.
- Participants' videos should be turned off unless the person is presenting or has to ask a question.
- If someone wants to ask a question, they should raise their hand. The co-hosts can unmute them and only then the person should talk.
- Keep the chat window open to enable discussion. Participants can post their questions in the chat window as well.
- We recommend using a secondary system such as slack that can foster continuing discussion after the Zoom session has ended.
- We recommend turn on recording the session and enabling live transcription for those who are unable to follow along. The transcript can be saved and edited for future reference. This will meet most ADA requirements.
- Use the polling feature to make the sessions interactive.
- Breakout rooms give opportunities for group discussions.
Suggestions
Suggestions for the host for enhancing the meeting experience
- Test the zoom settings at least an hour before the actual meeting to avoid technical challenges during the meeting
- Host the session online at least 15 minutes before the scheduled time
- For longer sessions (over an hour), it is advisable to give a short intermission. People need bio breaks.
- During the session, it is advisable to keep the chat window open to answer questions posted simultaneously
- Make sure the microphone is working as expected and not creating an echo
- If you are using a white board, place a separate camera in front of the whiteboard
